The Patriot Post® · A Transfer of Power

After eight years in the White House confronted with domestic and foreign policy challenges, Thomas Jefferson supported the candidacy of his protégé James Madison to step into the leadership role. Jefferson understood that Madison, only eight years his junior, possessed the skills — both intellectual and leadership acumen — that made him the ideal successor. Admittedly, Madison had paid his dues and had gained a reputation as a tireless scholar and devoted supporter of the republic.

Madison had grown up in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, claiming books as his closest friends even though he had seven siblings. As a child, he demonstrated a gift for classical languages and, before entering the College of New Jersey (later known as Princeton), Madison had already mastered Greek and Latin. After only two years, he had completed his college studies but remained on campus to master Hebrew and delve into philosophical texts.

Upon his return to Virginia, he studied the law but found that the ideas were more inspirational than the actual practice of the law. (Any attorneys out there understand that feeling?) After gaining a seat on the local Committee of Public Safety, the young Madison found himself inspired by the ideas of independence and crafting debate points based on classical concepts of republicanism and liberty. By 1776, he had taken a seat as a delegate to the Virginia Convention and suddenly his future unfolded as he advocated for religious freedom and his philosophical passions became reality. In 1778, Madison was appointed to the Virginia Council of State, the local body that would direct the state’s involvement in the Revolutionary War. That position mandated that he work closely with Thomas Jefferson, then Virginia’s governor, and an alliance was formed that would endure until Jefferson’s death.

Following the revolution and the independence of the colonies, Madison continued writing and serving, but perhaps his greatest contribution would come in the form of the United States Constitution and his recordings of the process by which that document was sculptured. He had persevered in his quest to move the young nation from a confederation to a republic and, while he was one of many who advocated for its creation, his was the most passionate voice. As the ratification process moved through the states, it would again be Madison, joined by colleagues Alexander Hamilton and John Jay, who would use a series of persuasive essays to push toward adoption.

In 1789, Madison earned a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, and his path forward moved quickly as President George Washington’s chief supporter and the mastermind who would guarantee the passage of the first 10 amendments to the Constitution. He would eventually break with Washington over the issue of the strong centralized government advocated by Hamilton, his own former constitutional ally. His distrust of the path chosen by the president led him to once again move closer to Jefferson and join in forming the opposition party, the Democratic-Republicans. In a surprise move, he also married the vivacious Dolley Payne Todd, a young widow, who would become his strongest advocate and political partner.

Confession moment: I often portray Dolley Madison during War of 1812 events and confess an admiration for her strength and her devotion to her much-adored Mr. Madison. Additionally, Madison has always been a favorite and, while I have always attempted an impartial evaluation of his impact on this nation, I do admit that a portrait of Madison always was displayed in my classrooms and now in my personal library.

James Madison was true in his belief that a republican form of government was most ideal for the rise of individuals and the strength of union and understood that the republic would only survive through the active, engaged, and informed citizenship of individuals. That belief motivated his opposition to John Adams’s Alien and Sedition Acts and his crafting of the Virginia Resolution, advocating a state’s right to nullify laws in opposition to the U.S. Constitution. (Yes, that issue would reappear again and again throughout our nation’s history.)

When Jefferson appointed him as secretary of state upon assuming the presidency, Madison would support the Louisiana Purchase, going to war with the Barbary pirates, and a strong diplomatic presence in interactions with England and France. In many ways, the partnership between Jefferson and Madison allowed Madison to mold foreign policy during a rapid period of expansion and international involvement — training that would help prepare the younger Virginian for his future role as president.

Next week, Madison is sworn in as the president. How well would he perform as our nation’s chief executive? Well, examine the record and you can have a vote on the final decision.

I’d love to hear from the history lovers out there in Patriot Post world. History is best when shared by friends and nerdy addicts of the past.